Marketing 2.0

The Power Of Design

Here's a good article from Business Week on IDEO, the famous design firm. Their focus on consumer experience is changing the way new products are designed. There's some good content here on the creative process that the firm uses.

BW Online | May 17, 2004 | The Power Of Design

Fast Forward - How Google Is Revolutionizing the Ad Game

Many companies, both large and small, are trying to increase their profiles on search engines. Google is the 600 lb. gorilla of search engines right now. So how do you get your company to show up on the first page or two when someone searches your product category? Simple - you pay for it.

Google offers a program for advertisers to buy links in prominent spaces and pay on a click-through basis. This article from Fortune discusses the service and also offers comments from users.

Fortune.com - Fast Forward - How Google Is Revolutionizing the Ad Game

Online Marketing: An Overview

Here are some good tips from Ars Technica for online marketing. Three methods are highlighted - viral markekting, paid search and affiliate sales. Internet technology has changed marketing in some very fundamental ways. Here's an opportunity to learn some techniques from an industry expert.
Ars Technica: Online Marketing: An Overview -- Page 1 (3/2004)

Focus on the Product

Here's a good article out of Fast Company on a new marketing strategy employed by Virgin Airways. The message here is focusing on the product itself and the user experience is a good alternative to traditional advertising.
Fast Company | How About This Beer Label: " I'm in Advertising!"

Marketing Blogs

Weblogs started as personal publishing vehicles and they are growing in popularity. A blog is so much more useful than most web sites because information can be easily published and archived and feedback from readers can be gathered and consolidated. Blogs can easily link to each other and content can be automatically subscribed to using RSS feeds. For these reasons, I decided to construct a blog instead of a traditional web site to support my consulting practice.

This leads me to the question of whether a blog is a useful tool for companies to use to facilitate marketing communications. I think so and let me suggest a few applications:

Sales Communication – a blog is a great way for sales and marketing managers to publish information to the sales force including product information, customer feedback, training materials, company policies, competitive information and market intelligence. It puts everything on one site, neatly archived by categories for everyone to access. It’s a great tool for keeping geographically dispersed work groups informed and building teamwork.

Customer Communication – traditional customer support material can also be published using a blog. The advantage is that customer comments and feedback can generate a more interactive experience and ultimately improve the material. For example, an online product manual or help article can be commented on when a customer experiences it. This allows the marketing and customer service people to revise, update and refine their materials. How many times have you cursed a company for an ineffective, online help document? A blog would allow customers to create a two-way dialogue.

Product Development – a blog can be used to facilitate cross-functional teamwork in areas such as product development. Typically, input from engineering, marketing, production, finance and sales might be gathered in any new product process. Establishing a dedicated site puts all of the documents, design photos, feedback and opinions in one place. Part of the site can even be opened up to customers for candid feedback on products before they are finalized. You might even create a virtual focus group using blog technology.

These are just a few of the ways that blogs can enhance marketing communications. If you are using this technology in your organization, I’d love to hear from you.